Lancashire Hotpot

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1.5 pounds cubed beef

• 2 onions

• 1.5 tbsp plain flour

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 3 medium sized carrots - peeled and cut into chunks

• 1 ½ pounds white potatoes - peeled and sliced

• 1 tbsp melted butter for brushing

• ¼ tsp dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Melt the butter and vegetable oil in a cast-iron dutch oven and fry the beef until lightly browned all over (about 5 minutes). Remove beef and place into a bowl, then add the onions to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft.

Add the beef back in, then stir in the flour, cooking for a minute. Add in the stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Give everything a stir, bring to a gently bubble. Then place a lid on it and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, stir in the carrots. At this point, you can transfer the contents of the pan to a casserole dish or pie dish if you wish (I moved mine to a casserole pan). Top with the sliced potatoes. Start from the outside, and layer the potatoes, moving towards the center.

Brush the top of the potatoes with the melted butter and sprinkle on the dried thyme. Cover with a lid or foil and place back in the oven for 1 hour.

After an hour, turn the oven up to 400°F and remove the lid. Cook for a further 30 minutes until the potatoes are browned and crisp on top.

Take it out of the oven, and leave to rest for 5 minutes or so.